Helsinki-based Kohina chosen as Interior Design Studio of the Year 2025

Skilful use of light and colour, flexibility of spaces and reduced environmental impact. For all this, the long-standing design firm Kohina was awarded the title.
Kohina is a strategic architecture and design studio founded by Susanna Kallio in 2007 with the aim of supporting sustainable development through human-centred architecture and spatial design.
In 2024, Kohina took significant steps towards sustainability and started to offer its clients carbon footprint calculations as part of its design services. The aim is to help clients understand and reduce the environmental impact of their projects, and make sustainable and cost-effective choices by accurately assessing what is worth replacing, retaining, discarding and reusing. The calculation of the carbon footprint is based on the Ministry of the Environment’s Low Carbon Building Assessment Methodology and Green Building Coucil Finland’s guidelines for assessing the carbon footprint of space planning.
Kohina’s recent projects include the interior design concepts for Keilaniemi Fööri, the restaurant and children’s world at Redi Shopping Centre and Studio Frö flower shop. In all of these, responsibility, sustainability and low-carbon material choices have played an important role. The interior design concepts at Fööri emphasise the adaptability and longevity of the spaces, while at Redi the use of old elements and a high level of waste recycling are emphasised. Studio Frö’s project focused on minimising waste and creatively combining old and new.

A carbon-neutral future
Sustainability is at the heart of the office’s design. Kohina is committed to carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2030, and the agency is also involved in the first climate programme of the Central Chamber of Commerce, which calculated the agency’s own carbon footprint. The 2023 calculation resulted in a carbon footprint of 12.2 tCO₂e, and the action plan aims to halve emissions by 2027 and achieve full carbon neutrality by 2030.
The agency also provides other companies with expert carbon footprint calculations for their business. The calculations can help identify the environmental impact of business and provide a clear picture of the sources of emissions. A tailored action plan is also developed to guide you in reducing emissions and achieving your environmental goals effectively.

Character and quality
The Interior Design Firm of the Year 2025 was selected from the nominations and applications by Futudesign’s interior architect SIO Anni Ojanen, SIO’s chairman, interior architect SIO Lars Räihä, architect SAFA Emma Johansson and Kaarina Gould, CEO of the Finnish Architecture and Design Museum Foundation. Minna Borg, Secretary General of the SIO, acted as secretary of the jury. The jury particularly appreciated the variety, character and quality of Kohina’s projects. The jury also praised the holistic approach to design, especially the skilful use of light, colour and materiality.